Rikku & Link Untitled
by LavaPup
Summary: One day, Rikku finds herself in Hyrule, lost and confused. The story takes place after OOT, MM, and FFX-2.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

**Besaid Isle **- A few months after the return of Tidus...

Feet dangling in the water, a lone girl sat at the edge of a dock, on the beach of Besaid. She was humming a tune of no origin and tilting her head every now and then. Blonde braids showered down from the top of her head each time she moved. It was Rikku, the Al-Bhed princess, spending her afternoon relaxing near the ocean. With a sigh, she tilted her head again while pouting.

_When am I ever going to find that special guy? I'm so happy for Yunie but sometimes I feel a little bit... jealous..._

But upon that thought, she quickly shook her head. "No, no. I'm just lonely! Since Tidus returned, she hasn't been around as much... and Paine never hangs out with anyone anyway... Hmm, speaking of Paine, I wonder how many friend points I have right now..."

Amidst her thoughts, Rikku saw a white round blur in the water. The waves were distorting it but she was pretty sure it was a blitzball. Curious to who might be practicing, she leaned over the edge more, for a better view. The round shape grew bigger and was definitely a sphere. Rikku was puzzled by now because it was about twice as large as a blitzball. Then, she saw the pupil and leaped up in horror. The round object was a huge eyeball and it was staring right at her! Stifling a scream, she stepped back and caught her breath. Slowly, she peered over the dock again and her heart skipped a few beats. The large eyeball was near the surface! Suddenly, a tendril of water snaked up into the air, growing thicker and thicker until the large eyeball had traveled up the stream. It was a huge, literally all-water, one-eyed serpent and before Rikku could scream in terror, it wrapped itself around her with lightning speed, dragging her into the ocean, down into the depths...

**Unknown**

"Look! You can almost see-"

"Is she Gerudo?"

"Could be... but she looks too nice-"

"Of course they do, idiot! Why do you think they are so successful-"

"What should we do? Bring her back to the cottage?"

Rikku slowly gained consciousness as she blinked open her eyes, quickly closing again since the sun was glaring directly down. It suddenly felt much colder, almost like it wasn't Besaid anymore. After closing her eyes, she started drifting into darkness again.

"Here, you take her shoulders, I'll take this end..."

Earlier, the unconscious Rikku's skirt had been hooked by a fisherman accidentally and when dragged in, the fisherman and his two colleagues were astounded by their "catch". An unconscious, scantily clad girl with strawberry blonde hair had been floating in the middle of the water. They had decided to take her back to the cottage and wait for her to recover.

"Sigh, Lake Hylia has been getting chillier this year... wonder why..."

**Lake Hylia **– Fishermen's Cottage

_Ugh... Wake up, Rikku! I smell fish..._

For the second time, Rikku blinked her eyes open. The dim lamplight was soothing and she had been sleeping on her side, facing it. Just when she was about to drift off to sleep again, she felt hands near her rear end, caressing. Whipping around, Rikku found a shocked looking man, pudgy and soft, lifting his hands up in surrender. She quickly kicked him in the face and he slumped to the ground unconscious. Calming down from the sudden surprise, Rikku took a moment to figure out what the heck had happened.

_Okay... so first, I was just sitting on the dock, then that eyeball, yuck, and then... some voices and that really bright sun... and it was really chilly too, now this pervert feeling me while I was out and now what? Yunie!_

Suddenly, the door opened silently but swiftly, and two other similarly pudgy men came in, one with a pair of scissors and the other with a gleeful smile on his face. Rikku had a good hunch on what the scissors were for and why the two had such a perverted look on their face. Anger suddenly flared within her and she did a flip kick on the man with the scissors and while the other one stepped back in shock, she front kicked him in the chin, effectively clearing the path out of the room. Without hesitation, Rikku left, while grumbling. The hallway was short and led to a main room of sorts that held many fishing poles and different boxes most likely filled with other equipment.

_So they are fishermen... that explains the fish smell... ugh..._

It was then she realized that the whole cottage smelled funny. Rikku wasted no time exiting the cottage. Once outside, the sight that met her eyes stopped her in her tracks. Instead of the vast, blue ocean and sandy shores, there was grass everywhere and the water was a darker blue, and much calmer. She was in front of a large lake and it didn't seem like she was anywhere near Besaid, judging by how chilly it was. Looking to her left, she saw trees of some forest. Turning to her right, she saw a large opening in the wall of trees that surrounded the lake area. It seemed like a good direction to go so Rikku started running to stay warm.

_Oh no... where am I, what is this place? And how did I get here... Am I still in Spira even? And did that eyeball creature take me here? Ahhhh!_

Moments, minutes, or hours later, Rikku found herself in a slightly warmer place. The trees had long gone as she looked around now to see herself on a vast plain, with almost nothing but short grass. There was a dirt path that led to a lone collection of trees, almost like an island on land. Looking more closely, Rikku noticed that there was a house there as well as two larger buildings and a tower with some sort of large fan. It was all very strange the way the buildings looked, but Rikku decided to go check them out. The house had a light on so there must be people inside. She hoped they would be safer to be with since it was getting darker.

"Hello?" Rikku shouted as she knocked on the door of the house. There was some grumbling and another gruff voice saying something. Rikku also heard a female voice speaking so she relaxed a bit. The door opened and a grumpy looking man peered down at her. He had strange facial hair that almost looked like it could be worn, but Rikku had a feeling it was natural. It was a really strange place she had ended up in. Looking past the first man, Rikku saw a bigger man lazing on a sofa of sorts. Sitting near him on another cushioned chair, was a young lady similar to her age. The girl had reddish hair and was very pretty. After explaining why she was here, Rikku was let in and spent the night on what she found out the next day to be the Lon Lon Ranch.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Lon Lon Ranch**

"So... where do you come from, Rikku?" The pretty red-haired girl named Malon asked in the morning. Yesterday evening, when Rikku had been let in, they had talked a bit before going to sleep. It was late though, so they never got past the names. "Your clothing seems different than any culture in Hyrule. We deliver milk and goods practically everywhere so I see many different types but I have never seen yours before. It is very interesting."

"Oh..." Rikku blushed as she compared her provocative wear to Malon's more conservative dress. She must be in a very different place from Spira, where such modest clothing would be reserved for the Yevonites or people of higher positions in the political world. Suddenly, she wondered if she had been sent back in time. After all, she had been sucked up by some horrendous monster into the ocean. Maybe she had died and this is the afterlife. Or, this was the future. Anyhow, Rikku wondered what she should say, as she didn't want to appear insane.

"Well... heh heh, I came from really, really far away! It was by accident really. My airship had malfunctioned and so I crashed into a lake, where some fishermen... um... rescued me... kinda... and then I ran until I found this place and met you! And thank you for letting me stay here. I'm really grateful!"

Malon smiled warmly as she took Rikku's hands and led her downstairs to the main room, where breakfast was ready. Rikku, realizing she hadn't ate in quite awhile, demolished her share within moments, to the astonishment of Talon, who was never bested in his most proficient field before.

"M-my h-heavens!" Talon stammered as he gaped at the empty plates before Rikku.

Ingo, the one with the weird facial hair, which Rikku learned from Malon was a mustache, merely scoffed and grumbled a bit before leaving the house, off to work in the stables. Talon then went off somewhere to nap most likely and it was only Malon and Rikku again. As Malon began taking the plates to the sink, Rikku sprang up as well.

"Oh, let me help you!"

As the ladies began cleaning the dishes, the door suddenly opened and a tall, young man with blonde hair walked in, holding a fishing rod and bait box. His garb was a green tunic and long pointy hat which drooped down. What drew Rikku's attention the most were the pointy ears that the man had. They looked so sharp and Rikku really wanted to touch them. However, that would not be very polite so Rikku refrained. Malon, who had froze momentarily when the blonde man came in, smiled brightly and greeted him.

"Link! Welcome! I wasn't expecting you! Please, sit down."

Before the young man, now known as Link, could say anything, Malon had ushered him into a seat and went to pour some milk. Rikku giggled a bit as she saw the confused look on Link's face and how Malon flustered to get him some milk. It was a strange scene but it made Rikku feel warm with happiness for some strange reason. Meanwhile, Link had noticed the other girl in the room. He gasped a bit as he saw the intricate beads that held taut the tight braids showering down from Rikku's head, as well as the pseudo-bikini that Rikku wore, baring most of her legs, her belly, and pretty much everywhere except the most important places. Rikku felt uncomfortable with his staring, and turned to continue washing the dishes.

"Link! You are going fishing?" Malon asked.

"Yeah, it is my new hobby." Link replied, then emptied the cup in one gulp. "May I have some thread for the fishing line?"

"Oh sure! Just a second." Malon nearly exclaimed as she rushed upstairs.

"Fishermen... ugh" Rikku grumbled in an undertone while putting the last of the dishes onto the rack to dry. Turning, she saw Link gasp again as he saw her, most likely shocked this time by her unique Al-Bhed eyes, which had swirling irises.

"Here you go, Link" Malon handed Link the roll of thread and lingered near him for a moment, then quickly returned to Rikku's side. "Oh, you finished all the dishes, thank you Rikku."

Link got up and took his fishing gear.

"Thank you for the milk and fishing thread, Malon." It seemed like he was going to say something else but he just smiled and said, "Well, see you later you two."

_See you later, fisherman, ugh!_

That was Rikku's first thought, but she could sense that even though Link didn't talk much, he was a kind and righteous person. She wasn't sure why but there was some kind of aura of calmness coming from him.

_Not all fishermen are bad... I guess..._

The kitchen had become silent and Rikku looked over at Malon, who was absentmindedly drying the same dish she had started on earlier. A thought sparked in Rikku's head. She tapped Malon's shoulder lightly, bringing her out from her reverie.

"Malonnn."

"Um, yes Rikku?"

"You've been working hard, let's take a break."

"What do you mean? I haven't even started my daily-"

"Oh don't worry about them I'll help you later! Right now, we are going fishing!"

"W-what? What do you mean? We don't have any-"

"Let's go! Come on!" Rikku exclaimed as she dragged Malon out her own house. Suddenly, she stopped and told Malon to wait for just a moment. Going back in the house, Rikku went and got a few bottles of milk and brought them out, handing them to Malon. "You will probably need this."

"W-what-"

"Let's go!"

**Hyrule Field**

Strolling at a leisurely pace, Link admired the brightly lit clouds. It was such a wonderful morning and nothing would be better than to spend it fishing in Lake Hylia. He stopped, having remembered, and took off his Kokiri tunic. Revealed to the world was the lean but muscular body of a Hylian knight, the Hero of Time.

"Ooo, hey there." Rikku giggled and nudged Malon, who was looking away blushing. Rikku rolled her eyes at the shyness as such a thing was foreign to her. She was also used to seeing the tan toned bodies of the Besaid Aurochs, that trained on the beach every morning, so Rikku was quite used to seeing shirtless males.

"Ah!" Link blurted out as he quickly donned his Water Tunic. He then looked at the two. "Hello again."

"We were wondering if we could come fishing with you? Malon and I wanted to take a break staring at- I mean walking by the lake." Rikku asked.

"Sure, let's go." Link replied, glad that the awkward moment had passed. The three continued down...

**Lake Hylia**

Windy and cold, Lake Hylia seemed like it was near the end of the fall despite the actual season being summer. This was very strange, thought Link, as he led the two ladies to a nice grassy spot. It was a dip in the land so that the wind blew over their heads from where they were sitting. Malon and Rikku watched as Link sat down and took out two peculiar boots from his knapsack. They looked like normal forest boots, except the foot area was covered with metal. They had to be really heavy. Rikku wondered why such boots would be needed for fishing. Malon also seemed perplexed.

"Ahoy! Ladies! Welcome to Lake Hy- aah! It's you!"

The jolly voice that boomed through the wind was from none other than one of the three plump fishermen Rikku had been "acquainted" with not more than twenty-four hours ago. Upon seeing the blonde braids and angry glare of Rikku, they immediately stopped in their tracks, about to run. When they saw Link though, the three relaxed and smiled.

"Link! How are you, buddy?" One of the fishermen greeted.

Link started a conversation with them while Rikku told Malon why they had reacted to her so fearfully.

"Wow... I would never had known, they seem so jolly..." Malon said. "I even delivered supplies to their cottage before... I think we'll have Ingo do that next time..."

"Ugh, when are they going to leave?" Rikku complained. Then, she got up abruptly. "Hold on a second."

Strolling over to Link and the three fishermen, Rikku came up from behind Link and stood next to him, elbow on top of his shoulder, which was a stretch. Link made a slight gasp at the sudden closeness but stood still.

"Hey guys... whatcha talkin' about?" Rikku directed a glare towards the three fishermen who had taken a step back.

"Oh, uh n-nothing really, just gonna head on our way now, g-good day to you all." And with that, they left.

Back in their little camp site, Rikku started a fire with her lighter, to the amazement of Malon and Link. They took turns playing with it and Rikku observed Malon's reactions to Link's closeness. _Malon is such a nice person and that Link guy seems so too. They would be such a good couple._ Rikku thought. She then shivered a bit as it was quite cold and Rikku didn't think ahead to ask for warmer clothing. Malon's dress wasn't much thicker either. Link, obviously unaffected by the cold, donned his strange iron boots and strode into the water with his fishing rod. The water went up to his knees, then his waist, then his shoulders, and then finally he was completely submerged. Rikku and Malon got up, wondering what in Hyrule Link was doing. Moments later, he came back up, a fish struggling on the hook.

"Are you both hungry?" Link asked, lifting the fish up, which was about the size of Rikku's head.

"Mmmm... haven't had fish for awhile, I'll cook it, you go get more!" Rikku exclaimed happily, as she loved food.

Link returned to the lake while the two girls prepared the fish.

"Malon."

"Yes, Rikku?"

"You like him!"

"W-what? No, not like that! We are friends. W-why so sudden?"

"Come on, Malon. Don't pull that with me, its quite obvious!"

The two stared at each other for some time and Malon finally sighed.

"Well, okay. I sorta do. But, do you like him? You really wanted us to go with him."

Rikku stuck a stick through the now dead fish, putting it over the fire to cook.

"Silly goose! I brought us here so you could be with him! You weren't getting anywhere cooped up in that house! Tell you what, when he comes back up, you invite him to sit down next to you and then feed him! Guys love being fed! I think, but anyways, he seems like the shy type too so you're going to have to step up and snatch him!"

"But I can't just-"

Malon was interrupted not only by Rikku, but because Link had resurfaced with two more fish, each bigger than the last. Rikku, with her back to Link, was unaware so blabbered on about the potential love between the two. When Link gasped with shock only parallel with when Princess Ruto appeared to him during his questing, Rikku clamped up and slowly turned, with a sheepish grin.

"Oh hi there... Um... I'm gonna go check out that building over there... you two eat up!"

Before Malon or Link could react, Rikku dashed off towards her new location of interest.


End file.
